Reciprocate
by Lady Spritzy
Summary: In the Straw Hat crew, love can be shown in many ways: a kick to the face, a slap with the back of one's hand, or abandoning a comrade in combat. After nearly dying for his captain, Zoro is shown a different kind of 'love'. ZoroXLuffy, lemon


_Quick note: The title for this is fairly tentative, so reasonable suggestions are welcome. One Piece and all characters/places/situations are Copyright Eiichiro Oda. Also, for spoiler haters, this is set later in the series, around chapter 485 or so. Enjoy!_

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><p>Zoro managed to keep his face stony as Chopper passed the bandages around his chest again. He felt numb in all his limbs, though he was somehow still able to hold his arms up, and fatigue threatened to knock him from consciousness. The swordsman said nothing as the reindeer worked, merely watched as he always did with mild interest. Each time the doctor went around with the bandages, the throb of pain that accompanied Zoro's heartbeat grew stronger. Ignoring his growing desire to escape the pain, the swordsman fought to stay awake.<p>

Chopper looked up at Zoro, titling his head back enough that he could see the man's face under the pink brim of his hat. The reindeer hadn't expected so much damage to be done to one of his crew mates, with the exception of Luffy. The captain, however, was dashing about like a madman demanding meat while his first mate sat here practically at the Grim Reaper's feet.

With his mouth half open and a question on his tongue, Chopper checked himself. When Sanji had asked what in the hell had happened, he had been told nothing. Why would Zoro change his answer for the doctor? The reindeer closed his mouth again and continued with the bandages, contenting himself with the though that when the swordsman was ready, he would tell about what had happened.

With Zoro's chest finished, Chopper allowed the swordsman to lower his arms. The reindeer took a step back and cast a critical eye upon his patient's bandages. There was a little bit of pink starting to show through the cloth on his arms, but the rest of it was as white as when it had been applied. The doctor smiled brightly, satisfied with the job.

"You get some sleep now," Chopper said, giving Zoro a light push to encourage him. Surprisingly, the swordsman didn't resist like normal, and the reindeer winced a little when Zoro flopped like a sack of rocks onto the pillow.

Before his head even hit the pillow, Zoro was out like a light.

In his mind's eye he saw fog, was surrounded by it, choked by it. In the distance there was a dark shape looming, and with a dreamer's clairvoyance the swordsman knew it was Kuma again, hovering over an unconscious—defenseless—Luffy. With practiced hands, the dream Zoro was bristling with swords, and in a flash he was upon the monstrous shichibukai.

Zoro's swords seemed to move in slow motion as he struck, the blades slamming into the behemoth's shoulder. This time, however, the sword didn't shudder in his hands with the force of the blow. There was a screech like a wounded eagle, and the swords, despite their fame and workmanship, bent themselves out of shape around Kuma's unforgiving clavicle. The swordsman landed awkwardly, tripping over his right foot and twisting so that he fell to that knee between Luffy's limp form and the monster above him.

Kuma reached down, and Zoro staggered to his feet. The shichibukai stopped, and the dreaming man knew it was because of surprise, not caution. The pirate lord then continued on, simply reaching around the swordsman to pick Luffy up. The captain rolled like a ragdoll in the giant's hand, and his signature straw hat fell to the ground at Zoro's feet.

"Drop him," the wounded swordsman yelled, his body unwilling to move.

The behemoth shichibukai ignored Zoro's demand and shifted the limp pirate so that he was held in two hands.

"Let him go, take me instead," the pirate screamed, angry at the pleading edge in his voice while hoping that it would get through to whatever heart the looming cyborg might have.

Kuma held Luffy's limp form aloft by its head, monstrous palms wrapped around the unconscious captain's temples.

"Release him, please," the dreamer cried.

The wielder of the Paw Paw fruit exercised his impressive powers, and the rubber man's skull imploded.

Zoro felt himself slipping from the world in front of him, something tugging him away from his captain and the shichibukai like he was a dog on a leash.

"Damn you," Zoro roared, his throat catching as he finally regained enough control of his body to claw at the behemoth, "Damn you, Kuma. I loved him. How could you, you bastard? I loved him!"

The dream faded into the fog, and the fog into the darkness, and Zoro's eyes snapped open.

Zoro's first thought was that he ached in every bone. The swordsman could feel each muscle creak in his body as he lay there breathing, and after a while of agonizing respiration, he finally recognized the inside of Moriah's crumbling castle.

As his legs started to wake up, they complained of a weight upon them. The wounded man strained to see what was pinning his legs, but laying down he could see nothing of it. Slowly, Zoro's abdominal muscles contracted—with much protest—and he was able to prop an elbow under himself so he could take a look at what was on him.

The swordsman blinked several times in the dark to assure himself what he was seeing was real and not just shadows.

Luffy lay there, shirtless and wrapped in his own bandages, halfway curled on Zoro's legs. One of his legs dangled off of the small bed while the other was propped up on a giant barrel that had appeared by the foot of it. The captain's famed hat rested within arm's length, right at the swordsman's hip.

Zoro caught another elbow under him and eased himself into a sitting position, gagging a little at the pain of doing so. Luffy shifted a little in his sleep, and the injured man froze. As the captain settled again, Zoro inched himself so that he leaned ever so slightly over Luffy.

The swordsman stared at the would-be pirate king's peaceful, happy face; his tousled, erratic, jet colored hair; and finally, the scar that rested just under his left eye. Before he realized it, Zoro's hand had risen, trembling from fatigue, and made its way to rest quietly in Luffy's hair. Warmth radiated from the rubber man's scalp, and the wounded swordsman was more than happy to leave his hand in such a soothing place.

"Good," Zoro whispered, "Kuma kept his word."

The captain's eyes opened halfway, blind in the darkness. Zoro blinked, making sure again that the darkness wasn't tricking him before jerking his hand away from Luffy. Pain stabbed the swordsman in the side for moving so suddenly, and he couldn't help but fall into a coughing fit.

"Oh good," Luffy's voice said, "You're awake."

Zoro gagged out one last bit of agony before growling, "What the hell are you doing sleeping here?"

Luffy pushed himself up and swung his legs around so that he sat cross legged by his first mate's feet. He grinned in the darkness and heartily pounded on the barrel he had been resting his leg on.

"I thought you'd want a drink when you woke up, so I got you a barrel of your favorite wine." He laughed. "Nami and Chopper wouldn't let me give it to you while you were sleeping."

"And just what the hell made sleeping on my legs necessary?" Zoro snapped. Luffy laughed again.

"I guess I was just too tired from all the fighting," the captain said brightly, "Ah, you missed it: Brooke sang for us and joined our crew."

Zoro's face softened just a little in the dark.

"So you finally got that musician you were after?"

Luffy nodded, a grin plastered to his face.

"Uh-huh," the captain proclaimed proudly, "Now we can really call ourselves a pirate crew."

This time the swordsman laughed.

"What?" Luffy asked, his voice somewhere between confusion and defensiveness. Zoro shook his head.

"Nothing."

The rubber man's mouth fell into a pout, and he snatched up his hat and plonked it upon his head. He rose, standing on the edge of the bed.

"Fine then," he said with a small yawn, "I'm going back up to Sunny and going to bed. G'night."

"Night," Zoro replied.

The captain took a single step forward and fell headfirst off of the bed, landing face down on the ground. His hat went flying, landing several feet away. Zoro leaned gently over the edge of the bed and looked down at Luffy, who rolled over and laughed. The swordsman found himself lowering an arm to aid his captain to his feet. The offered hand was taken, and Luffy started to pull himself up. Zoro, however, had far over-estimated what strength he had and what help he could give. The swordsman's body gave out and he fell off of the bed himself, landing squarely on top of Luffy with his legs still tangled in the blanket that clung to the bed.

"Dammit," Zoro growled, his wounds complaining about being pressed up against.

The captain of the Straw Hat pirates laughed again, and through the pain the swordsman could feel the rhythm of the sound in his chest. The two of them found themselves face-to-face.

"You should get back to sleep too," Luffy said with a smile.

Zoro couldn't reply: his chest was in pain again, throbbing in time with his heartbeat. Through the bandages, he could feel Luffy's heart beating along with the pain. The swordsman's neck lost what scrap of strength it had won back during his rest, and his head fell onto his captain's.

It took both men a moment to realize that their lips were pressed lightly together, but both of them were too exhausted to do much about it. Again, Zoro's fatigued body felt the life that coursed within Luffy's, the strength that the swordsman had gone through hell to preserve, coming to him through the patches where their skin touched, and especially from his captain's lips.

Before he knew what his body was doing, Zoro felt his mouth push a little harder against Luffy's. The captain twitched a little, but the swordsman couldn't restrain himself. The injured man pushed his face closer to Luffy, trying to get closer to that strength, to immerse himself in it. Zoro's lungs used the last of the oxygen they contained, but the swordsman was unwilling to let go of his hold on that vitality. Air rushed into Zoro's body through flared nostrils, and the man redoubled his efforts to fully grasp onto his captain's strength.

A weight descended on the base of the swordsman's head, and something wet had parted his lips. Part of Luffy's strength came to greet Zoro's tongue, and the two of them wrestled playfully. The injured man felt his captain's tongue explore each and every one of his teeth before pulling back a little bit, as though inviting Zoro's tongue into Luffy's mouth. The swordsman took the invitation and delved his tongue into that vitality.

The captain's mouth had something of a spicy taste to it, but for some reason that didn't surprise Zoro. The swordsman slid his tongue along the roof of Luffy's mouth, feeling along his gums and teeth. The rubber man bit gently on his first mate's tongue and nudged against it with his own, and his eyes shone brightly in the dark.

Zoro felt himself being turned but could do nothing about it, and the scenery behind Luffy's head changed from dirty floor to hole-blasted ceiling. The captain released the swordsman's tongue and pulled his mouth away from the injured man. Zoro felt the fatigue threatening to return in the absence of Luffy's vitality, and he tried to lift his head and regain his grasp on that strength.

However, Luffy moved, shifting so that he could kiss at Zoro's neck. The swordsman trembled, warmth and relief radiating from every place his captain touched down on. Luffy slid down Zoro's chest carefully, planting light kisses only where skin was revealed. The wounded pirate strained his neck so that he could watch with a mix of interest and enjoyment as pain receded from his body.

Luffy looked up into Zoro's eyes and grinned.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better," he said brightly. Zoro felt his face grow hot in the darkness, and somewhere in the back of his head he breathed a sigh of relief that Luffy couldn't see the blush.

"Of course I'm better," the swordsman replied, hoping his tone sounded how he wanted it to and didn't reflect his immense relief, "You think a pissant like that would have killed me?"

Luffy's grin widened.

"Nope," was his reply, and he gave Zoro a quick peck on the lips before returning to his chest. Luffy leaned back, giving the dark, cold, and fatigue a chance to return. However, a single strand of warmth crossed the top of Zoro's chest, where the injured pirate had earned a scar from Mihawk a while back. Luffy's finger traced gently over the scar, even where it was hidden by bandages. His hand came to a rest at the swordsman's hip, and part of his palm rested on the edge of Zoro's pants.

As Luffy gently curled his fingers around the swordsman's pants, Zoro found enough energy to get to his elbows and slide back from his captain. The wounded man fought to hold back another coughing fit as he glared at Luffy.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zoro growled.

The captain looked at him quizzically.

"You don't want it?" he asked.

"No I don't, dumbass," the swordsman yelled, anger scrawled on his face.

The captain crawled forward so that he was once again next to Zoro's hip.

"I'm going to," Luffy said bluntly, reaching again for the swordsman's pants. Zoro batted the rubber man's hands away with another surprising burst of energy, and this time he slid backwards into a sitting position with his hands palm down on either side of him. The captain's mouth fell into small pout.

"Moron," Zoro barked, "I said no." He punctuated each word with increasing volume.

Again, Luffy came to Zoro's side, and though the swordsman wanted desperately to retreat further, the giant wine barrel that had been brought for his benefit was right behind him. The captain brought his hands to rest gently on Zoro's waist and started to remove the wounded man's pants.

"Well, I say no to that," Luffy said, his annoyance clear on his face.

"Idiot," the swordsman grumbled, but he concentrated the remainder of his strength on remaining upright. The captain slid Zoro's pants off gently, revealing bandages that ran from mid thigh to right above his ankles and rough undergarments. Luffy then carefully slid his fingers under the band that held the swordsman's underwear on, gingerly removing them so that none of the bandages were accidentally unfastened.

Zoro's face flushed as his captain stared down at his dick and laughed.

"It's not funny," the swordsman roared, a defensive edge in his voice.

Luffy just grinned, and his fingers gingerly enveloped Zoro's cock. The injured man flinched, sharp pain from his side and the growing ache in his neck and shoulders contrasting greatly with the tingling pleasure radiating from his loins. He could feel himself shivering as Luffy's fingers started to rub along his shaft with a strange mix of strength and gentility, but more than anything, Zoro could feel himself beginning to harden.

The captain leaned forward, kissing the injured man's chest and abdomen through darkened bandages as his hands continued to play with his penis.

Zoro's breath fell from its rhythm as Luffy's kisses drew closer and closer to his crotch, and his arms trembled violently as they fought to hold him up. The captain's tongue came out of his mouth and licked the swordsman's cock from base to tip, causing Zoro to shudder forcibly and his breath to become more ragged. Luffy licked around his first mate's head, his saliva mixing with the precum that oozed from the member.

Even in the dark Zoro knew his entire top half was flushed. He could feel little beads of sweat standing out on his skin and sliding down his body before dropping off onto the ground. In the tips of his trembling fingers, the swordsman could feel his rapid heartbeat thumping frantically against the ground.

Slowly, Luffy lowered his head and took as much of Zoro's cock into his mouth as he could handle and allowed his tongue to take care of the rest. The swordsman's jaw clenched as he stared at Luffy, his arms shaking as rapidly as a hummingbird's wing. Zoro could feel pressure starting to build in his loins, but the moment he opened his mouth to warn his captain, a moan was dragged from him. Luffy started sucking, slowly at first but letting his pace quicken substantially. His hands occupied themselves with fondling Zoro's sac, causing the wounded man's breath to catch in his throat between moans he couldn't stop.

The vitality that Zoro had only received a small taste of from his captain's kiss enveloped his dick. It magnified the pleasure emanating from from the member, the warmth soothing the aches that should have fatigued the rubber man.

The swordsman came in Luffy's mouth, and after the pressure had been released Zoro's arms gave out. The captain gagged on the ejaculate, coughing it up on both Zoro's legs and the ground. The wounded man's head flew backwards and collided with the wine barrel with a resounding thud. The jarring pain forced a curse to fly from his mouth as he lifted a trembling hand up to this new ache.

Luffy wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and smeared what had gathered there on his shorts before gathering Zoro's newly injured head in his arms for a small peck on the lips. The swordsman's free hand reached up and hung itself around the captain's neck, and Luffy found himself being pulled down into a second kiss. Zoro could feel the warmth radiating from the captain as the latter had to lean across the swordsman's chest to keep from falling.

The wounded man moved the hand that cradled his skull and brought it to rest against Luffy's chest so that he could feel the rubber man's rapidly beating heart. The captain gave Zoro a grin and pressed their lips harder together. The swordsman's hand slid down Luffy's chest, the muscles there firm against his fingers. When it came to the captain's shorts, Zoro's hand hesitated.

Luffy broke their kiss gently, giving his first mate a wide smile. Zoro's fingertips curled under both underwear and shorts, and between cloth and flesh the swordsman slid his hand from the captain's front to his ass and eased off the clothing.

The rubber man leaned closer to his first mate, their chests pressing together so that the injured man could feel his captain's heartbeat in his chest. Luffy stepped out of his discarded shorts and settled on his knees between Zoro's legs, pulling the swordsman into something of a sitting position.

Again, Zoro was able to prop himself up, and as he did so Luffy's hands brushed past his erect dick. The swordsman face flushed once again, and his arms threatened to drop him then and there. The captain, however, moved his past the dripping member and his fingers felt gently around until he brushed against Zoro's hole.

Trembling violently, the swordsman inched back until he was propped against the wine barrel and he glared at Luffy.

"What the hell do think you're doing?" Zoro grumbled as his body shook.

This time Luffy didn't reply except for a light kiss on the swordsman's stomach and a bright smile. The captain stuck his fingers in his mouth quickly, and once they were slick with saliva, he wriggled one of them in Zoro's rear, making the man twitch in discomfort. Luffy's finger turned every which way it could, opening the orifice enough for a second finger to join it.

Zoro writhed, the discomfort morphing into pain as the captain twisted his fingers around inside. An involuntary leg lifted to kick at the invader, but in a flash Luffy had pinned the swordsman's legs as his fingers kept in constant motion. The wounded man opened his mouth to complain when the pain took a 180 into pleasure, and the harsh words morphed instantly into a moan. The captain grinned at him, and rubbed at that spot again and again, winning more involuntary groans from his first mate.

When Luffy removed his fingers, the swordsman realized he had enjoyed that tiny bit of vitality that had found its way into him. The captain leaned forward and overtook Zoro in deep kiss. The wounded man's arms wrapped around Luffy's neck, his eyes closed.

The captain reached a hand down and gently guided his hard cock to his first mate's trembling hole. Luffy's tip nudged at the orifice, and then pushed its way inside. Zoro's fingers dug into his captain's back and neck at the return of the pain, and all the muscles in his body tightened as his breath caught in his throat.

The strength that had lured the swordsman in slid deeper inside him, pushing a painful path into his ass. Zoro trembled as Luffy stuck his dick in as deep and slowly as he could. The captain's penis rubbed slowly past Zoro's special spot, and the swordsman moaned breathlessly into Luffy's mouth.

It took Zoro a second to realize he could feel the pulsing heartbeat of his captain through their connection, that with the pleasure that flowed through his flesh also came the vitality he had tried to capture through Luffy's mouth. The swordsman's arms wrapped tighter around the rubber man's shoulders, so much that their chests pressed together and he nearly choked the captain.

Luffy gently broke their kiss and Zoro opened his eyes.

"I'm moving now," the captain said, his voice thick and husky.

"Yeah," Zoro replied, and his hands clenched.

Gently, Luffy pulled his hips back, and slowly he moved them forward again. With each thrust he pushed in a little faster, a little harder. The swordsman's breath grew more jagged, and every time that special spot was hit, he moaned. Each groan in pleasure encouraged the captain to go faster, and any time Luffy heard his name called he gave Zoro another kiss.

The swordsman felt pressure building in his loins again as the rubber man moved in time to their beating hearts.

"Luffy, I'm—"

Before Zoro could finish his thought, he felt that vitality course farther into his body than he thought possible as Luffy came. The captain's body trembled violently, and the swordsman couldn't help but reach his head up and kiss him hard on the lips as he came as well.

As slowly as he could, Luffy removed his cock from Zoro. Though the captain's member was no longer inside of him, the wounded man held that strength in his body. Zoro's arms loosened their hold on Luffy just enough so that he could move himself and curl up in the swordsman's embrace. As the first mate of the Straw Hat crew clutched onto his captain, he could feel the beating of their hearts syncing up.

Again, sleep threatened to descend upon Zoro, and before he slipped back into the void of dreams, he murmured, "Why?"

Luffy grinned as the swordsman's eyes closed.

"Because I love you," he said brightly, giving the wounded man a small kiss on the lips.

Once Zoro's breathing regulated in sleep, Luffy gently started to remove himself from the swordsman's embrace. The wounded man's face twitched, and he clung a little harder onto the captain in his sleep. After a little bit, Luffy was finally able to free himself from Zoro's arms.

The rubber man carefully replaced Zoro's underwear and pants before scooping him up and placing him back on the bed. Luffy quietly pulled the forgotten blanket up over the swordsman, making sure he was covered completely.

Luffy placed a final, gentle kiss on Zoro's forehead before retrieving his shorts and hat and retiring to the Thousand Sunny for the rest of the night.

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><p><em>AN: Yea, and let it be sung the glory of first attempts at things. This is both my first attempt at a lemon, and a first attempt at yaoi. I have pawed through the One Piece fanfics here, and I've noticed a lack of LuffyZoro stuff, which kinda bugs me. So, I thought I'd help remedy that just a little by contributing in such a fashion. As this is a first attempt, constructive criticism would be lovely._

_I hope you enjoyed. _

_As I am, _

_Lady Spritzy  
><em>


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